Palak Paneer (Easy, Restaurant-Style)
Palak Paneer, or Saag Paneer, is a restaurant-famous spinach and paneer curry. This recipe is crowd-pleasing with complex yet balanced, authentic flavor. It's also easy-to-follow, requires one pan if you skip pan-searing the paneer, and takes 50 minutes from start to finish! Tested to perfection!
- Prep time
- 10 min
- Cook time
- 40 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup neutral oil (such as grapeseed or avocado oil)
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 medium yellow onion (finely chopped)
- 5 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
- 1 inch ginger (finely chopped)
- 1-2 small Serrano or Thai green chili peppers (finely chopped)
- 2 ripe Vine or Roma tomatoes (puréed in food processor)
- 1+1/2 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 3/4 tsp red chili powder or cayenne
- 1+1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 lb fresh spinach (thoroughly washed & stems removed (thin stems are fine) - See Note 1 for substitutions)
- 2 tbsp ghee or butter (salted/unsalted both fine)
- 1/2 cup water
- 8 oz store-bought paneer (I use Gopi brand, cut into ~1/2 inch cubes - see Note 2 on how to cut paneer cubes)
- 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp heavy whipping cream (double cream) (See Note 3 for using half & half)
- 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp whole milk
- 1/2 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves (methi)
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp garam masala (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Heat oil in a large, wide-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Add the cumin seeds (they’ll immediately sizzle) and the chopped onion and sauté for about 10 minutes, until golden brown. Deglaze with 2 tbsp of water to encourage the onions to brown evenly.
- 2
Add garlic, ginger, and green chili and cook for 2 minutes, until aromatic. The onions will have deepened even more in color. If the mixture starts to stick, deglaze with another 2 tbsp water.
- 3
Add the tomatoes, ground spices, and salt and continue to sauté for 3-4 minutes, until the oil starts to separate. If needed, deglaze again with 2 tbsp water.
- 4
Increase the heat to high and add the spinach, a handful at a time, and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes.
- 5
Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and cook for another 10 minutes (~15 minutes if using frozen spinach), stirring once in between. The spinach will release its own moisture, but if it starts to stick (likely if using frozen), add 1/4 cup water. If your fresh spinach is still moist from washing, you may not need any water. The spinach will turn darker and start sticking to the pan.
- 6
Optional - Meanwhile, if you’re pan-searing the paneer, do so now. Heat 1 1/2 tbsp neutral oil in a large nonstick pan over medium heat. Place the paneer cubes in a single layer and cook, turning constantly, until lightly golden on all sides, ~6-8 min in total. If it starts to pop, reduce the heat and keep turning. Transfer the paneer from the pan to a paper towel-lined plate. Cover and set aside.
- 7
Uncover the spinach and stir to mix. Turn off the heat and allow it to cool for a couple minutes before transferring it to a food processor. Pulse to chop (~20 times) or blend on low into a rough purée. You don’t want a completely smooth paste.
- 8
Place the pan back over medium-high heat and add the ghee or butter. Once it melts, pour in the roughly puréed spinach. Sauté for a minute to fry the mixture. Add the measured water (1/2 cup) and stir, letting it meld into the curry.
- 9
Stir in the paneer, heavy whipping cream, and milk. Reduce the heat to low-medium, cover, and cook for 7-10 minutes, until the paneer has softened and soaked up the masala. All excess water will have evaporated by now and the oil will start to separate on the sides.
- 10
Crush the dried fenugreek leaves between the palms of your hands and sprinkle it in. Taste and adjust salt, if needed. Squeeze in the lemon juice and give it a stir. Sprinkle with garam masala, if using. Serve with roti, naan, paratha, or basmati rice.